FALL RIVER — Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology.

Radiation oncology is the planned application of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

“Accreditation by the American College of Radiology in Radiation Oncology is the gold standard. It underscores Saint Anne’s commitment to providing safe, progressively sophisticated radiation therapy for since it was introduced in 1979,” said Raymond Dugal, MD, Saint Anne’s chief of radiation oncology.

Dugal expressed gratitude to the program’s team for working together to continually enhance the program’s radiation therapy program at its locations in Fall River and North Dartmouth. The team includes board-certified radiation oncology physicians, radiation oncology board-certified medical physicists, dosimetrists, therapists, and oncology-certified registered nurses, as well as registered dietitians, social workers, chaplains, outreach workers, and other support staff who specialize in cancer care.

“Through our team’s expertise and adherence to the industry’s rigorous standards of quality care, Saint Anne’s Hospital has led the way in the Greater Fall River-New Bedford area in providing advanced cancer care,” Dugal said. “We are proud of our state-of-the-art technology, but even more important is having a well developed, mature program, staffed by highly trained and experienced staff. We are pleased and gratified to be recognized for providing safe, effective and expert care to our patients,” he said.

Saint Anne’s Hospital’s Radiation Oncology program offers an expansive range of cancer treatment choices and technologies at its sites at the Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and the Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center-Hawthorn Oncology Center in North Dartmouth. These include: